Plantar Pressure Profiles during Gait in Children with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS)
Mentor 1
Brooke Slavens
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
27-4-2018 1:00 PM
Description
Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is a connective tissue disorder representing 80-90% of all types of EDS individuals, occurring in at least 1 in 5000 people. hEDS is characterized by many symptoms including hyper-flexible joints, joint instability and laxity, early onset osteoarthritis, and extensible skin. These symptoms often result in altered gait patterns, thereby affecting the pressures and forces experienced on the bottom of the feet. Over time, these alterations can cause chronic pain and deformity and continue to negatively impact gait patterns, further decreasing quality of life. Despite this, there is a paucity of research on gait biomechanics, particularly plantar pressure profiles, in individuals with hEDS. This study endeavors to comprehensively map pressures distributed across the feet during gait in children with hEDS. Three subjects with hEDS, between the ages of 8 and 18 years, will be recruited. . First, to assess pressure profiles during quiet standing, each subject will stand barefoot on a Novel emed system, a capacitive sensor pressure platform, embedded in and level with the lab floor. Then, subjects will walk across the platform at their preferred speed for a maximum of five trials. Data collected will include peak pressures, maximum forces, and force-time integrals over the entire foot from the time of heel contact to the time of toe off. Data may be divided into distinct areas of the foot such as the ball, heel, or toes. Three trials per subject will be used to calculate a group average and standard deviation for each metric. A statistical difference in plantar pressure profiles is expected when compared to data of healthy individuals as reported in the literature. Deviations found may elucidate the cause of pain and pathology development and will ideally help healthcare and rehabilitation professionals design strategies and orthopedic devices to alleviate them.
Plantar Pressure Profiles during Gait in Children with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS)
Union Wisconsin Room
Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is a connective tissue disorder representing 80-90% of all types of EDS individuals, occurring in at least 1 in 5000 people. hEDS is characterized by many symptoms including hyper-flexible joints, joint instability and laxity, early onset osteoarthritis, and extensible skin. These symptoms often result in altered gait patterns, thereby affecting the pressures and forces experienced on the bottom of the feet. Over time, these alterations can cause chronic pain and deformity and continue to negatively impact gait patterns, further decreasing quality of life. Despite this, there is a paucity of research on gait biomechanics, particularly plantar pressure profiles, in individuals with hEDS. This study endeavors to comprehensively map pressures distributed across the feet during gait in children with hEDS. Three subjects with hEDS, between the ages of 8 and 18 years, will be recruited. . First, to assess pressure profiles during quiet standing, each subject will stand barefoot on a Novel emed system, a capacitive sensor pressure platform, embedded in and level with the lab floor. Then, subjects will walk across the platform at their preferred speed for a maximum of five trials. Data collected will include peak pressures, maximum forces, and force-time integrals over the entire foot from the time of heel contact to the time of toe off. Data may be divided into distinct areas of the foot such as the ball, heel, or toes. Three trials per subject will be used to calculate a group average and standard deviation for each metric. A statistical difference in plantar pressure profiles is expected when compared to data of healthy individuals as reported in the literature. Deviations found may elucidate the cause of pain and pathology development and will ideally help healthcare and rehabilitation professionals design strategies and orthopedic devices to alleviate them.
